Can you tell we love books yet? They play a big part in our lives. Our house is full of them. We have bookcases and baskets in every room of the house, excepting only the kitchen and bathroom. Everyone has their favorites, and because the holiday season is soon to be upon us, here are some more in case you need gift ideas. . .
The Kids
If I Built A Car This one is a new favorite in our family. My lovely mother-in-law knows how much William loves cars and surprised him with it last month. I’m pretty sure it’s been read daily since then. The illustrations are colorful, bright, and bold, and the writing is a delight. The rhymes are funny and clever and full of imagination. It’s a great book for kids who like to dream big, tinker, and invent.
Beekle has been on our shelves since G was a baby, and it has yet to grow old. The kids regularly find it no matter which shelf it’s on. It’s a sweet story about an imaginary friend who doesn’t get imagined and goes out into the world in search of his friend. Super cute. Super sweet.
President Taft Is Stuck in the Bath This is Mark’s favorite (and the reason William prays for President Taft at every opportunity. We’re working getting him to understand that he’s not still stuck in the bathtub to this day). Based on a rumor about Taft during his years in the White House, this book made Mark laugh out loud in the bookstore, laugh so hard and so loud that the book club meeting on the other side of the store had to ask him to quiet down. If that’s not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is.
In The Town All Year Round We’re on our second copy of this book in our house, not because our kids mistreat their books, but because this one was read so frequently it wore out, it fell absolutely apart. It’s a book with no words, the entire story is pictures, which makes for great conversations with your kids. Separated into seasons, the book follows several people (all helpfully named at the start of the season) through their year, and is chock full of details big and small to keep the kids entertained. There is always something new to find, even for adults, and it’s a great opportunity to build vocabulary and play I-spy.
Cookie’s Week This one is a board book that has been a favorite of both G and Will, and if Charlotte could talk, I’m sure she’d agree. It follows a mischievous little kitten through the week, and is illustrated by the amazing Tomie dePaola
Ramona is G’s newest and dearest favorite book. As she’s transitioned out of napping, we’ve found that listening to an audiobook in a cozy chair gives G the rest and quiet that she still needs. If you aren’t already familiar with the app Hoopla, make sure you check it out. We get most of G’s books there through our library.
Gram
Agatha Christie is Gram’s go-to reads. Being a tech-savvy nonagenarian, Gram reads them via our library on her Kindle.
(The biggest upside of library e-books in this house is that when they’re due, they just disappear from your device, no late fees involved)
Mark
Mark has very little time to read, but loves to listen to audiobooks. He’s currently listening to The Consolation of Philosophy and recently finished Neverwhere (I cannot tell you what either of them is about, but I’m sure that Amazon has very handy summaries)
Me
I have been reading a mix of fiction and non-fiction recently, here are a few that I’ve enjoyed recently.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up This book lives up to it’s name. It is truly life-changing. It’s amazing (I also highly recommend the follow-up. I read it on a whim after reading an article in The Atlantic, knowing that I needed to do something to start to prepare for the move that might be coming in a few months, and dang, if it didn’t blow me away. I was skeptical at first, but when I actually gave the method a try, I can’t tell you how freeing and amazing it was. The woman is a tidying genius. If you don’t believe me, come and take a look at my linen closet, heck come and look into any closet in the house!
The Mountain Between Us I’m pretty sure I’m super late to the game on this one, but the library hold list was super long for it. It’s a story about two people who are in an airplane accident and have to survive getting down a mountain together. It was a good read, very touching.
Aunt Dimity’s Death This is the first in a series of light-hearted mysteries involving a ghost and her best friend’s daughter. They are completely fluffy and lovely and set in the English countryside. There is no sex, no foul language, no graphic content, but lots of eccentric characters who will delight you.
The Temperament God Gave Your Kids Do you have a child that is your polar opposite? That you struggle to understand? Well then, this book is for you! It was a great help for me in understanding Gianna’s nature better, and for being able to see all of the amazing gifts she has more fully. I really appreciated it’s practical nature and thoughtful way of approaching all of the temperaments.
The Martian Also late to the game, I know. If you can get past foul language (there are a lot of F-bombs in this book), it is a fabulous read. I loved the movie, but the book is much, much better.
Please let me know what books are on your reading lists! I’m currently at the end of my list and need some new titles!
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